Escapement mechanism of typographical composing machines



May 27, 1952 H. SCOTT ETAL ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM OF TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES s sneaks-sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1947 y 2 5952 .R. H scoTT ETAL I 2,597,956

ESCAPEMENT MECHANISMOF TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES Filed May 9. 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1952 R. H. SCOTT ET AL 2,597,956

ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM OF TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES Filed May'9, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 and supporting the escapement lever.

Patented May 27, 1952 ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM OF TYPOGRAPH ICAL COMIPOSING MACHINES Richard Henry Scott, Hale, and Arthur Staniland Hayward, 'Altrincham, England, assignors to Linotype and Machinery Limited, London, England, a British company Application May 9, 1947, Serial No. 747,012 In Great Britain May 11, 1946 This invention relates to the escapement mechanism of typographical composing machines,

matrix magazine and transverse rods or wires being used to guide or support a plurality of escapement levers. When it has been desired to remove an escapement lever for adjustment or replacement the presence of such support rods has been a source of inconvenience and has tended to prevent ready removal of the escapement lever.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for mounting and operating the escapement levers, such means being of simplified construction and facilitating ready access to any individual escapement lever.

According to the present invention, escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine of a typographical composing machine comprises an escapement lever and means which serve the dual purpose of operating Conveniently, such operating and supporting means is retractible to allow the escapement lever to be removed; The escapement lever may be supported by means which return the escapement lever from a matrix-releasing position to a matrix-holding position.

The escapement mechanism may comprise an escapement lever, mechanism for moving the escapement lever from a matrix-holding position to a matrix-releasing position and a springpressed plunger for returning the escapement lever to matrix-holding position, the escapement lever being supported by said spring-pressed plunger. The escapement lever is preferably supported'on the side of the spring-pressed plunger.

For-a detailed description of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings wherein the invention ha been shown merely in a preferred form and by way of example. Obviously, however, many changes and variations may be made therein and in its mode of application which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form I or embodiment, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

8 Claims. (Cl. 199-23) Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical section through the lower end of a magazine showing an escapement lever in normal position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing an escapement lever when operated for releasing the lowermost matrix contained in the corresponding magazine channel;

Figure 3 is a side view of the lower end of the magazine in its normal position in relation to the machine frame;

Figure 4 is a side view of the lower end of the magazine when the magazine is removed from the machine frame;

Figure 5 i an underside view, partly broken away, of the lower end of the magazine, and

Figure 6 is a partial transverse vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on the line VI--VI of Figure 1.

In the drawings, the invention is shown applied to a magazine I which is supported in position on the machine by a frame member 2 (see Figure 3). The magazine I carries at its underside members 3 (forming a so-called escapement bar) between which the arc-shaped escapement levers 4- are located (see Figures 1, 2 and 5). Each escapement lever 4 is formed with pallets 5 and B and controls the release of matrices 1 from adjacent channels in the magazine I, there being only one such channel 8 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Each escapement lever 4 is formed with a downwardly extending projection 9 against which a plunger [0 slidable in slots 3a in a member 3 is pressed (by the actuation in known manner of a striker H) to rock the escapement lever and release a matrix 1 from the magazine. On the other side of the projection 9 and slidable in slots 3a in a member 3 is a plunger l2 which is pressed against the projection 9 by means of a detachable spring [3, so as normally to hold the escapement lever in the position indicated in Figure 1. The nose portion M of the spring-pressed plunger [2 is rounded at the end or is suitably shaped to cooperate with the projection 9. A partof the convex under-surface of the escapement lever 4 rests on the flat upper surface of the springpressed plunger l2 (see Figure 6) so that said plunger forms a support or bearer for the escapement lever.

The upper or concave surfaces of the escapement levers engage with the convex surfaces l5a formed on a removable cross-bar I5 which acts as a guide during the rocking movement thereof. Banking surfaces l6, l1 formed in the concave surface of each escapement lever come intocon- H) which in turn presses against the projection .9.

in opposition to the action of the spring-pressed plunger 12. The escapement lever is thus moved from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2 and the lowermost matrix I is released. During this movement the springpressed plunger I2 is moved back to the position indicated in Figure 2, and continues to act as a support or bearer for the escapement lever. The escapement lever subsequently returns to the position shown in Figure l in which the pallet 5 holds the succeeding matrix I.

To remove any individual escapement lever 4 it is necessary only to retract the spring-pressed plunger [2 associated therewith (as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines in Figure 1) and the escapement lever can easily be withdrawn. If the machine is provided with a plurality of magazines l supported by frame members 2 which can be spread apart prior to the changing of a magazine, the removal of an escapement lever without removal of the magazine is further facilitated.

To prevent accidental operation of the escapement levers during the handling of a magazine for removal or replacement there is provided an escapement locking device of the kind comprising an escapement locking bar adapted to be moved out of and into active position as the magazine is applied to and removed from the frame member 2.

Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the locking bar i9 is formed at each end with an extension as which engages the forked end 21 of a lever 22 pivoted at 23 to each side of a member 3. The other forked end 24 of the lever 22 engages a pin 25 on a lever 2?: pivoted at 2? to each side of a member 3. A leaf spring 28 bearing on the forked end 24 of the lever 22 tends to hold the levers 22 and 2B in the position indicated in Figure e. The lever 25 is formed with an offset portion 29 which engages the top surface 39 of the frame member 2 when the magazine i is supported in position on the machine. The engagement of the ofiset portion 29 with the surface 33 moves the levers 22 and 26 against the action of spring 25 to the position indicated in Figure 3 and so raises the locking bar iii to an inactive position out or" the paths of the plungers It. When the magazine is removed from the frame member 2, the spring 28 moves the levers 22 and '25 to the position indicated in Figure 4 and the looking bar [9 is lowered into the paths or the plungers it] to prevent actuation of the escapement levers 4.

Although the invention has been shown as applied to a magazine carrying at its underside the members or escapement bar 3, it will be understood that the invention is alsoapplicable to a magazine of the kind in which the escapement bar 3 and escapement levers i are mounted in the machine independently of the magazine, and locking means carried by the magazine ensure that matrices are held therein during removal of the magazine from the machine.

Having described our invention, we declare that what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: y

1. An escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine of a typographical composing machine, said mechanism comprising, in combination, an escapement lever movable from a matrix-holding position to a matrix-releasing position and return, and a reciprocatory member to actuate the escapement lever in one direction, said actuating memher being disposed below the escapement lever and presenting a supporting surface upon which said lever rests by gravity both when the lever is at rest and during its actuation.

2. An escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine of a typographical composing machine, said mechanism comprising, in combination, an escapement lever movable from a matrix-holding position to a matrix-releasing position and return, and a reciprocatory member to actuate the escapement lever in one direction, said actuating member being disposed below the escapement lever and presenting a supporting surface upon which said lever rests by gravity both when the lever is at rest and during its actuation, and said member being mounted for retraction from its normal position to withdraw its support of the escapement lever and permit the lever to be removed.

3. An escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine of a typographical composing machine, said mechanism comprising, in combination, an escapement lever movable from a matrix-holding position to a matrix-releasing position and return, a springioaded plunger to actuate the escapement lever in one direction, and a fixed guide in which the plunger is slidably mounted, said plunger at one end extending beyond its guide and below the escapement lever and presenting a supporting surface upon which said lever rests by gravity both when it is at rest and during its actuation.

4. An escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine of a typographical composing machine, said mechanism comprising, in combination, an escapement lever movable from a matrix-holding position to a matrix-releasing position and return, a springloaded plunger to actuate the escapement lever in one direction, and a fixed guide in whichthe plunger is slidably mounted, said .plungerat one end extending beyond its guide and belowthe escapement lever and presenting a supporting surface upon which said lever rests by gravity both when it is at rest and during its actuation, and said'plunger being mounted within its guide for retraction from its normal position towithdraw its support of the escapement lever .and permit the lever to beremoved.

5. An escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine of. .a typographical composing machine, said mechanism comprising, in combination, an escapement lever mounted to rockin a curved path and formed with a lower convex surface, and an actuating plunger having an upper bearing surface arranged in engagement with the lower convex surf-ace of the escapement lever and upon which said lever rests by gravity.

6. An escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine'of a typographical composing machine, said mechanism comprising, in combination, anescapement lever mounted to rock in a curved pathand formed with a lower convex-surface, and an actuating plunger havin an upper bearing surface arranged in engagement withthe lower .-conv.ex surface of the escapement lever and uponwhich 5 said lever rests by gravity, said actuating plunger being mounted for retraction from its normal position to permit the removal of the escapement lever.

7. An escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine of a typographical composing machine, said machine comprising, in combination, an escapement lever mounted to rock in a curved path and formed at the front with a downwardly extending projection and at the rear with a lower convex surface, and a spring-actuated plunger slidable in a fore-and-aft direction to actuate the escapement lever, said plunger being arranged with its upper surface in engagement with the lower convex surface of the escapement lever to retain it removably in place and having a forward nose portion pressing against the downwardly extending projection on the escapement lever.

B. An escapement mechanism for controlling the release of matrices from the magazine of a typographical composing machine, said mechanism comprising, in combination, an escapement lever mounted to rock in a curved path and formed at the front with a downwardly extending projection and at the rear with a lower convex surface, and a spring-actuated plunger slidable in a fore-and-aft direction to actuate the escapement lever, said plunger being arranged with its upper surface in engagement with the lower convex surface of the escapement lever to retain it removably in place and having a forward nose portion pressing against the downwardly extending projection on the escapement lever, said spring-actuated plunger being retractible from its normal position to permit the removal of the escapement lever.

RICHARD HENRY SCOTT.

ARTHUR STANILAND HAYWARD.

REFERENCES GITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,156,033 Orpen Oct. 5, 1915 1,808,598 Emery June 2, 1931 1,974,395 Turner Sept. 18, 1934 2,061,881 Scott Nov. 24, 1936 

